Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I greatly value the role played by disabled persons organisations, DPOs, in representing the living experience of people with disabilities in Ireland. This is crucial to the development, implementation and monitoring of law, policy and human rights in Ireland. DPOs are explicitly recognised in the UNCRPD through Articles 4(3), 33(3), and General Comment No.7.

In response to the Deputy's question, there are no immediate plans for the development of a register or a related specific policy on the categorisation of DPOs. My Department engages with a range of stakeholders and uses the language of the UNCRPD as the basis for those engagements, including in relation to DPO status.

This encompasses engagement with DPOs in particular but also with other important voices, such as individuals with disabilities, experts by experience and other kinds of disability organisations.

My Department will continue to engage closely with DPOs through a number of important consultation mechanisms including the disability stakeholders group and the disability participation and consultation network, DPCN. The latter has a specific DPO pillar which my Department has funded since its establishment in 2020. The network has promoted capacity building among its membership and participated in a number of significant consultation exercises with a range of Departments. In line with the State's policy of continuous advancement regarding the UNCRPD and acknowledging the work and clear value added by the DPCN, I have requested that the National Disability Authority, NDA, review the operation of the DPCN to date, with a view to identifying any areas of potential improvement based on lessons learned. I look forward to considering the NDA report and any potential next steps regarding consultation and engagement structures when that report is finalised and submitted to me, which, I expect, will occur in the coming weeks. Any potential next steps will need to be progressed in partnership with DPOs, disabled persons and other key stakeholders.

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